Frozen Heart
by Charmeleon2012
Summary: Prompt: Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart. Elsanna aka icest.


"**ANNA!**" Elsa's cry seemed to carry miles across the frozen wasteland that was once Arendelle. Before she had registered with full clarity what had happened, there was a bright flash, and the queen was forced to look away. Upon returning her gaze to her assailant, she saw instead a statue of solid ice that looked suspiciously like-

"No." Petrified, Elsa stood up slowly, forgetting for the moment about the man who had tried to kill her. "No, no, no!" She was sobbing now, her fingers curling around a slippery frame. The queen felt her cheek press up against the frozen body, and in that moment something inside her snapped. The tears stopped abruptly as she stood, her composure ramrod straight. A sudden gust of howling wind splayed across the frozen harbor as she whirled around.

"You _**bastard**_!" Elsa screamed, her hands reaching out toward Hans, who was trying to run now. "You evil, wretched, dirty _son of a bitch_!" The ground beneath him split as deadly spikes and walls of sheer ice rose to enclose him before he had a chance to think. The man tried to scream but a thick coating of frost jarred his mouth shut as another large spike sprouted up by his throat. Blinded by the sudden raging storm and violent emotions she couldn't describe, the queen marched to her captive, hands balled into fists. She thought she heard someone call her name in the distance, but ignored it.

"_I'll kill you_! I'm going to kill you. I'm going to-"

"Elsa!" She'd heard it distinctly now, in the direction of where her sister had been left standing. Her heart leapt in her throat; the queen whirled around, her captive left unnoticed.

"Anna?" The blizzard formed by her rage stilled suddenly, giving her a better view of who had called her. No, it hadn't been Anna. It was the figure kneeling beside her, ear pressed gently against her chest. It was Kristoff.

"Elsa. She's alive." The queen was already running, and the man backed away so that she could get closer to her frozen sister. Her head lowered to the same spot on the girl's chest. The storm ceased completely as she listened.

_Thump._

Elsa fell to her knees, dazed. Regaining her composure, she stood and listened again.

_Thump. Thump._

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart." The queen pulled back, unable to listen any longer to her sister's throbbing chest. Anna's heart was thawed by her act of love for her sister. However, the rest of her body had not thawed. Something was wrong. Elsa was sure she knew what it was.

"Kristoff, you have to kiss her." The man's eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Me? But Els- I mean, Your Majesty-" he was about to say, "I'm not Anna's true love", but Elsa stopped him.

"Kristoff, you have to try. It must be true love's kiss." So she didn't know. And the ice harvester, who still feared and respected the woman before him, didn't have the heart to tell her. Not because he himself didn't want to believe it; no, he had come to terms with it himself the moment Anna had walked away from him. It was because Elsa would never believe him.

Kristoff took a step forward and cradled the frozen girl's head in his hands. It wouldn't hurt to try, anyway. Maybe he had misinterpreted what he had seen, and what he had heard from his family. Magic was funny business, after all, and a spell often worked on two fronts. Gently, tentatively, with the queen's eyes boring into the back of his skull with every movement, Kristoff brought his lips to Anna's cold, unmoving ones in a gentle kiss. He pulled away a moment later, his own lips damp from the ice. They both waited then, watching. Still, nothing happened.

Kristoff shook his head. He had been right after all. The queen stood beside him again, eyes brimming with tears. He began to turn to her, but she surged forward suddenly, taking her sister into her arms once more with a choked sob. Elsa was a mess right now. She was confused, and scared. She wouldn't listen to Kristoff, especially if he told her anything as crazy as the truth. Still, the ice harvester was upset that he couldn't do anything for the older girl at the present time, even if it was for the best.

Indeed, magic was funny business, especially when it came to love. Anna's true, pure love for her sister had saved her life and thawed her heart. However, for the spell to be broken completely, one who loved must be loved in return. Kristoff loved Anna, but she hadn't loved him in return, not truly. Anna loved Elsa, but the older girl didn't yet know it was her who hadn't given the whole of her love. True love's kiss was the only answer, but only Anna's true love could be the one to kiss her and make her whole once more.

So, when Kristoff saw Elsa finally lean up and press a gentle kiss to the corner of the frozen girl's lips, he smiled knowingly. His smile grew even wider at the sight of Anna's fingers flexing ever so slightly, though this had still gone unnoticed to Elsa. He knew then that he had been right after all, and that in the end, they were all going to be just fine.


End file.
